1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a buckle for use with straps, belts, suspenders and similar fastening articles used independently or attached to garments, bags and the like, and more particularly to a buckle composed of a male member and a female member, the male member having grips for releasing the male member from the female member.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Buckles generally comprise independent male and female members each integrally molded of synthetic resin. One example of such buckles is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 55-20939 published on Feb. 9, 1980. The male member of the disclosed buckle has a connecting portion composed of a central base integral with a slotted attachment for attachment to a belt or the like, two bent arms extending from the lower end of the central base toward the slotted attachment, and two engagement portions having outer sides extending obliquely from the bent arms toward the slotted attachment. The female member has a tubular portion in which the male member can be inserted. For coupling the male and female members, the connecting portion of the male member is inserted into the tubular portion of the female member to cause the engagement portions to engage the inner wall surface of the tubular portion. When the male member is to be detached from the female member, the engagement portions are manually tilted inwardly toward each other to release them out of engagement with the inner wall surface of the tubular portion. The engagement portions of the male member have grips for tilting the engagement portions.
With the prior buckle, however, the engagement portions extend from the arm toward the slotted attachment, leaving spaces between themselves and the central base, and the spaces tend to trap therein raveled threads of garments, ornamental cords, or other foreign matter. If the male member is pulled with the foreign object trapped between at least one of the engagement portions and the central base, the engagement portion would be pulled outwardly by the trapped object and finally broken.